to the custom of that country, where they are remarkably fine, to clear
and sweeten the mouth and breath from the taste of the various viands.
The count having taken some, how it happened none can tell, but he dropt
one single seed, which he dexterously caught up before it reached the
ground, the which he did, as he said himself, and others affirmed,
merely to shew his quickness and dexterity, and put it in his mouth. The
lady, whether fate ordained it so, or that the action appeared to her
unseemly, or ungentleman-like in a person of his rank, was much vexed
and disgusted at it, and thus argued in her own breast:--This is what I
have often heard said by those who certainly have means of judging; that
the Catalonian people are the most sordid, miserly, and covetous set of
our western countries. Although I have not perceived in him, as yet,
any of the Catalonian ways, yet he may have put on this countenance,
according to the practices of the Catalonians, to deceive people. Poor,
indeed, is he in address, that cannot, for a short time, assume the
manners and language of a cavalier, at least till he has encompassed his
object; but avarice, as I have often heard one of my tutors say, as
it is the mother and nurse of every vice, so it has this particular
property, that it cannot totally be disguised or concealed, even by the
greatest hypocrite, because he, who is by nature of such a disposition,
begrudges not only his own property, but feels as much annoyed in seeing
even that of his enemy’s wasted, as a liberal man would feel in seeing
his taken from him; and if this knight is such, and I verily believe him
to be so, considering that amidst plenty he cannot bear to lose even one
single seed, how much more will he be avaricious of his own gold;--what
then would be my case?--can there be a more distressing thing for a
generous and noble spirited woman, than to have a sordid and avaricious
husband? This would be heavy sorrow to me, and the sport of others.
Heaven forbid it should ever be my case. I would sooner die an old maid,
than live with such a being in continual wretchedness and sorrow for my
own folly. Let my father do what he pleases, I know that she must be a
fool indeed, who suffers herself to be persuaded to what would make her
miserable.
Having thus resolved, she ceased to bestow a thought more on the
subject. All the fetes and rejoicings having ended, the count of
Toulouse, one day craving the permission of the Catalonian knight, took
his daughter by the hand and led her into another room, and here, with
all the tenderness of a kind father, asked her what were her sentiments
respecting this young Catalonian. She firmly and deliberately told him,
she would rather live single all her days, than be united to a man whose
principles and manners were so directly opposite to her own. On hearing
this, the old man was sorely grieved, considering that this match having
been proposed for the advantage of the whole country, by not having
effect, it might be the cause of ruin and eternal quarrels between the
rival states. Having asked his daughter the cause of her dislike, and
being answered, he thought it so very trifling a circumstance, that he
could not help laughing. He several times attempted to dissuade her,
but she protested that if, contrary to the sacred promise made to her
mother, any attempt should be tried to force her inclinations, she
would, rather than consent, destroy herself with her own hands. The old
count, remembering his promise to his dying wife, and moved by the love
he bore his daughter, said, with tears in his eyes, “if thou art so
firmly fixed, be it even as thou wilt; nor shall there be any persuasion
used with thee by me.” Having left the room, he endeavoured, in the
politest and best way, to excuse himself with the count, observing on
the dispositions of women, and particularly girls, and how often they
were bent on that which was most against their own happiness, and at
last told the count of Barcelona, that she was totally averse to the
match. This was a most grievous disappointment to the count, more
particularly as the possibility of such a thing had never entered his
head, and that he considered the thing as done in his own mind. However,
concealing his wrath and disappointment, he said, smiling, this is not
an extraordinary case, and many a greater man than myself has before now
been the sport of a woman’s caprice, but, that since that was the case,
he would press no further, but take his leave, and depart for Barcelona
on the morrow He only begged, in consideration for the trouble he had
had in coming, and the disappointment he had met with, that the count
would tell him what it was that his daughter so mightily disliked in
him. The old man was ashamed to tell it, or to keep the secret; at
length, however, he told him; nor could the Catalonian help laughing,
and he replied, “well, for the future when I pay my court to the ladies,
I will go when pomegranates are out of season, since, as Ceres was
deprived of a daughter, I am of a wife.” He praised the count for so
piously attending to the promise he had made his wife, and his love
for his daughter, in abstaining from using compulsion towards her,
and assured him this circumstance should not cause any dissension or
alteration in their late friendly intercourse. They then entered into
conversation on other subjects during the rest of the day; the count,
concealing the rancour of his heart against the lady, took leave of her
and others as kindly as he could, and departed, making the speediest
journey to Catalonia, and having arrived on the confine of his
territories, he dismissed his retinue, giving them to understand he
meant to go on a pilgrimage not many leagues off, (by some thought to
have been to our Lady of Monserrato) and, as on such occasions all pomp
and shew are dismissed, he took with him only two of his most intimate
friends; and informed them of the whole scheme he had planned; they left
their horses, and journeyed on foot to Toulouse, being each of them in
disguise, the count in the habit of a pedler, carrying before him a box
of trinkets and jewels strung to his shoulders, for he had bought many
valuable jewels, and intermixed among them some precious stones of his
own, which he had brought with him as presents to the bride. He did not
include those of greatest value, lest he should be found out by having
so much rich property, and having taken off his beard, which was then
worn very long among the great in Catalonia, he entered Toulouse alone,
having despatched his two friends to Barcelona, considering that was the
best means whereby he might have the good fortune of seeing and speaking
to his lady. Thus he used to go, morning and evening, about Toulouse,
selling his commodities to such as chose to buy them, but he mostly took
care to place himself facing the palace where the count of Languedoc
dwelt, in hopes of speaking to the lady, whom at first from love, and
now from spite, he constantly dwelt upon. It was not many days, before
that one evening the day having proved intensely hot, he beheld his
lady, beautifully dressed in white, sitting with many of the first
ladies at her door; he humbly bowing to them, asked whether any of the
company chose to purchase some of the trinkets he had; offering his fine
goods at a very cheap rate. The countess and other ladies agreeing, as
is the custom of the country, to look at them, called him to them, and
asking him what he had to sell, they all got around him, some looking
at one thing, others at another. He, unaccustomed to the trade, was
scarcely able to answer them; and ever endeavouring to answer the
countess, evaded many answers to the others. After selling many articles
they had chosen, he went his way, vesper time being near. He continued
his attendance thus for several days, and became a very great favourite,
to the annoyance of the other pedlers, who whenever they offered their
goods, were answered, “No! no! we will be true to our Navarro,” for he
had told the ladies he was of Navarre, not being able so to disguise
his language, as to appear a Frenchman, yet he would not be known for a
Spaniard.
[Illustration: frontispiece2]
It happened that, after a few days, seeing a good opportunity, the count,
unheard by any other person, said to one of the ladies of the countess
whom he observed to be her greatest favourite, and much beloved by her,
and to whom he had made some little trifling presents out of his wares,
that he had at home one of the most valuable and extraordinary jewels,
from its peculiar properties, that had ever been seen in the world, but
that he never brought it about with him, lest he should be robbed of it,
and that he valued it so, that were it to save his life, he never
would part with it. Without saying any more he departed. The lady was
distracted till she could tell the countess what Navarro had said to
her. When bed-time came, while she undressed her mistress, she related
to her the wonderful properties and beauty of the jewel, adding, as is
usual with such people, something of her own to the truth, and saying,
that if she was the countess, she would move heaven and earth but she
would have it, although he swore he never would part with it, because
it was a remedy against every evil, except death. Thus by such praising,
and such accounts, she made her so eager to possess it, that the lady
could not rest the whole night for thinking of this wonderful jewel.
Scarcely had the dawn appeared, but she sent her maid to Navarro, to
conjure him in her name, and use every means to induce him to sell it,
and should she not be able to succeed, that she might persuade him, at
least, to show it to her; because, on being seen, it perhaps might lose
much of its value in her mind, and thereby lessen the violent desire she
felt to have it. She, of course, went to Navarro, and related all that
had passed. He was highly delighted at what he heard, and began again to
relate the very wonderful effects and power of this jewel, swearing most
positively he would sooner part with his life than with it; but that,
in compliment to her, he would allow the countess a view of it. The
waiting-maid, finding she could not succeed further, accepted the offer;
and having fixed the time of the day when the lady could see it, she
went back to the countess, and related what had been determined upon.
At the appointed time Navarro came with the beautiful jewel. It was a
diamond of so large a size, and of so extraordinary a shape, as she
had never seen before; he said it had been brought to the old count of
Barcelona by certain Catalonian corsairs, who had been cruising beyond
the Straights of Gibraltar, and had taken it from some Normans, who
proving the weakest in the fight, were made prisoners, and all their
property taken from them; many say, added he, that it had been long in
the possession of the king of Naples. Greatly did he praise it before he
showed it, and said, the least he valued it for was its beauty, but that
it was its extraordinary properties that he esteemed, adding, he would
not suffer any one else to see it but herself. He then brought it forth,
still persisting he would not part with it on any account whatsoever.
The countess, holding the jewel in her hand, was admiring it, and the
more she minutely examined it, the more beautiful it appeared to her;
such was the desire of possessing it, that she would have given any
thing to obtain it; yet, concealing this desire as well as she could,
she begged Navarro to inform her of its virtues and properties. After
many times refusing so to do, as if he had some great objection to do
so, “Madam,” said he, “whenever any one is in doubt how to determine
upon any thing of great moment, if they look in it; and the
determination they wish to abide by is likely to be of advantage, they
see this stone as clear and bright as if all the solar rays were centred
within it; if the reverse, it becomes as dark as night. Some say,
indeed, that it is the philosophers’ stone, so long sought after
in vain, while others think it is not the produce of nature, but of
hermetical philosophy. There are others maintain, that it was that which
Alexander the Great possessed, who never went into battle without first
consulting it; and, lastly, that it was Caesar’s, and was the means of
rendering both invulnerable, as you have often heard related.” Having
thus replied to the lady, he took the jewel back, and went his way.
Being left with her woman, she exclaimed, “Oh! who could be so happy as
I, if I could but possess such a beautiful and wonderful thing! look
at it, and consult it when I pleased; should I ever be asked again in
marriage, as I was awhile ago by the count of Barcelona, what a blessing
it would be to me to have the advice of my infallible monitor,” she then
intreated her maid again, for her sake, to go and beseech Navarro to let
her purchase it at any price he should fix. Though the maid had not the
least hope of success, yet she went twice without succeeding, for he
even denied ever showing it again. At last, the third day, it appearing
to him a proper time to execute the plan he at first had premeditated,
Navarro said, “Madam, since your importunity, the beauty, and superior
charms of your lady, have so won me over to part with such a wonderful
jewel, go and say that I certainly will give it to her, provided, in
return, she will admit me, for one night only, in her room, as she would
a husband. Should she refuse, tell her that neither entreaties, money,
or any other reward, shall ever dispossess me of it, and request her to
cease to wish for it any longer, or molest me further.”
The maid related the whole conversation to the countess, adding, that if
she could not bring herself to agree to it, she would have no more to
do in the business, as she was fully convinced, nothing less than such
a sacrifice would do. The lady was seriously angry, considering herself
greatly insulted in her honor, and in threatening words reprobated the
presumption of the fellow, who dared to contaminate her greatness by
such a proposal; with her maid she also found fault, because she had
not rebuked him for presuming to make such a proposal. The maid, rather
smilingly, said, “Madam when I first went by your order, I thought my
duty was to report to both what each other should say; nor should I
ever have thought it my province to alter or conceal any thing said;
therefore, if you are any way displeased, it is your fault, for you
should have ordered me, had he said any thing rude, not to tell you of
it, and to have reprimanded him; though had you mentioned such a thing,
I declare I should not have meddled in it at all; for I not only cannot
punish, but cannot even blame things when they are not unjust. The gods
receive alike the prayers of the just as well as of the wicked; true it
is, they grant it to the just when they think fit, nor did I suppose you
would assume more to yourself. In the name of peace, what has Navarro
done to you? in what has he offended you? are you not aware that asking
is neither robbing nor giving? You are too young, and do not well
distinguish good from evil, but were those locks of yours as grey as
mine, you would talk in a very different style. Such speeches may be
uttered, ‘tis true, but to whom and where?--not here! nor to me! nor to
any of your maids, but to strangers, who, although they will not give
credit to them, will consider you as very virtuous, and a woman who is
acquainted with female arts, that is, in one word, to dissemble. But
with me, who am wholly yours, and have no dearer being than you, you
must not talk so; but allowing for your great youth, and bearing with
your reproofs, I will proceed and tell you that if you wisely agree to
Navarro’s request, you will have the gem, and I really think you will
have the best bargain. This pedler, although but a small trader, has in
his countenance, manners, and thoughts, something more of the gentleman
than the mechanic. Now if you do not take him, you will have done what
you choose, but not what you ought.”
With such arguments and discourse did the old lady’s-maid spur on and
seduce her mistress; so that wearied at last with her reasoning and
importunities, though she thought it a monstrous difficult thing to
manage, she after many _nays_ and _yesses, ifs_ and _buts_, said to her,
“do what you list, but settle it so that it be only for one night, and
late enough, that it may not occasion any mischief to me, and danger to
thee; for really when once you begin upon a thing, there is no way of
getting rid of you, and one’s obliged to give way.” The lady made
no answer, but went to Navarro, and arranged so, that the following
evening, after midnight, he should come to the garden-gate behind the
house, and she would direct the rest, and not to forget the jewel; all
of which was duly performed, and at night when he had given the gem,
he said, he had more of equal value which he saved for her, and would
dispose of at the same price; the which being heard by her woman, she so
teazed her mistress, pointing out to her that repetitions would not make
things worse, that she earned a beautiful ruby and an emerald, the one
of which Navarro said possessed the virtue of counter poison, the other
an antidote to the plague, the which often occurs in Languedoc. But as
it often happens that we get that which we do not look for, a few weeks
after the countess actually found that she was not likely to escape
with impunity, upon which she entered into counsel with her adviser, who
afforded her all the consolation she could, and told her that she must
keep her own secret, and all things should be provided against, and all
go well; that she was not the first by far, and would certainly not be
the last, to whom such things had happened, who afterwards, for a true
maiden, was taken as a wife.